A jargon-free journey through the world of social media.

Moms

December 21, 2010

As we prepare to take a brief break for Christmas, we wanted to share this tremendously uplifting story, one that just makes you want to go out and hug strangers. Or at least bloggers. Or at least Jenny Lawson.

Lawson, aka "The Bloggess," is one of the funniest women on the Web, hands-down. But this Christmas, her trademark snark has been set aside in favor of tremendous generosity.

It began as a simple plan to send $30 Amazon gift cards to 20 families who couldn't afford to buy presents for their children. When far more than 20 commenters began sharing their stories of hardship, other readers offered to pitch in to help.

"When things seemed dicey and I was about to call for an end to comments a wonderful man emailed me and told me that he’s so enjoyed the community on this blog that he wanted to donate $1000, no questions asked. So, ten people who were really struggling woke up this morning to $100 in their paypal accounts. Another reader offered $250 to a family in desperate need. A doll-clothes store owner sent sent seven beautiful Madame Alexander/American Girl dolls to wait under the tree for seven little girls who truly needed a single happy surprise in their lives right now."

That was posted Dec. 17. It was just the beginning.

Several updates and heart-warming anecdotes later, Lawson posted this conclusion:

"Over 900 gift cards were sent out by 689 people who were so thrilled to help. 450 people who needed small Christmas miracles received small donations for medicine, food and presents under the tree for their children. No large corporations got involved. No one only offered to donate if they got something out of it themselves. With no sponsorships, no ulterior motives and with only a simple need to reach out and help a perfect stranger 689 everyday, normal people (Jewish, Christians, Atheists, Muslims and more) sent out over $40,000 worth of donations to make sure Christmas came."

"Reading the comments is like watching a ticker tape equivalent to the end of 'It's a Wonderful Life,' with the whole town coming out to pay off George Bailey's debt."

For those of us who might have grown a little more cynical about social media this year, I hope this story serves as a warm reminder that the community spirit is just as alive today as it's ever been. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple, wonderful gesture to remind us.

March 15, 2010

It’s hard to believe that, more than 10 years after the advent of blogging, mainstream news outlets still crank out so many cringe-inducing articles on “those crazy bloggers and their narcissistic ways.”

Most of the article (about a recent conference for mom bloggers) is pretty vanilla fare, but the overall presentation was insulting not only to mom bloggers but also to almost any working mom.

A few things that set a bad tone for the article from the start:

• It’s in the Fashion and Style section. Not Business. Not Technology. Fashion and Style.

• The headline, which essentially tells you, “This is a story about women neglecting their children.”

• The accompanying graphic, shown at right, which elaborates on the idea that, “This is a story about women neglecting their children.”

Now let me say, I have no problem with a news outlet that examines how mom bloggers do or don’t balance their online lives with their parenting responsibilities. But that’s not what this story is about. In fact, it never even comes up, except in passing.

Heck, I would argue that this is actually a pretty good story that delves into lots of the complicated issues facing bloggers. What it’s doing in that section, with that headline and that graphic, I have no idea.

It’s like finding an earnest story on feminism in the 1950s, under the headline, “Sorry, Billy, you’ll have to steal lunch from a railyard hobo, because mommy’s getting a ‘job’!”

There’s obviously been a lot of debate among mom bloggers already, and I think they’re more than justified to be incensed.

“I guess it could also have been titled Honey Don't Bother Mommy. I'm Making Ends Meet for Our Family in a Tough Economy but that doesn't seem as enticingly condescending. Also, then it would have to go in the business section and not fashion + style and that would just mess up everything!"

So what should the media know about mom bloggers? I feel like I have enough professional and personal experience working with many of these women to share at least a few ideas:

1. They are individuals with completely different motivations and goals. They’re not part of some Park Slope hivethink, and they don’t all aspire to become Dooce.

2. The best of them work harder than almost anyone I know. You don’t run a site like DealSeekingMom.com, TypeAMom.net or BargainBriana.com without busting your hump. For women like them, it is a job, one that requires a rare and intense degree of writing ability, organization and initiative.

3. Should some mom bloggers pay more attention to their kids? Maybe, but whose place is it to say? What’s the right thing to do? Dote on your kids every second instead of working or maintaining any connection to the outside world? If that’s good parenting, then my daughter is in for a rough road.

4. The reason mom bloggers always seem to “clump together,” whether it’s at conferences or in digital communities, is because they support each other. They respect how difficult it is to be yourself, be a great writer, be a great mother and scratch out a living in a crowded field, all at the same time. Also, it’s easy for them to get the feeling that they’re chronically misunderstood.

Wonder where they get that idea?

UPDATE: The author of the piece has written her own blog post in response. It's worth a read and has sparked quite a bit more discussion in her comments section.

November 24, 2009

When most marketers or journalists talk about “mom bloggers,” it’s as if they’re describing some powerful-but-faceless crowd that exists solely to interact with corporate America.

The truth is that these online moms are incredibly diverse in opinions, motivations and tone. In fact, the only thing that really unites them is their connection, their commitment to one another, no matter how different they might be on a personal level.

Most days, this incredible network of support goes unnoticed by those outside the digital mom community, but the past week has shown how powerful and inspirational it can be.

A week ago today, blogger Anissa Mayhew suffered a massive stroke, one that left her struggling not only for consciousness but for survival itself.

I was in Atlanta (Anissa’s home base) the next day, when word was quickly circulating that she was in a dire situation. When I saw “PrayingForAnissa” was a trending topic on Twitter, my blood ran cold. Over the past year, Anissa and I have become good friends, and she was even one of our featured presenters at Luckie’s Marketing to the Modern Mom event last month (the photo above shows Anissa at the center of our blogger panel, with friends Mishelle "Secret Agent Mama" Lane, at left, and Lotus "Sarcastic Mom" Carroll.)

For tragedy to strike Anissa is doubly painful. Not only is she one of the most beloved and outspoken women on the Web, but her family has also overcome more adversity than anyone should have to live through. Anissa recovered from a previous stroke in 2005, only to learn a year later that her youngest daughter had been diagnosed with leukemia. The family's struggle against cancer inspired Anissa to begin blogging at Hope4Peyton.org.

By the time I’d learned of Anissa’s stroke, less than 24 hours after she was hospitalized, the blogger community was already in motion. Tributes, prayers and hundreds of donations poured in to help support Anissa’s husband and children.

Here are just a few of the blog posts Anissa’s friends posted to help raise awareness:

The mom blog community continues to support Anissa’s family each day, spreading news of updates and reminding readers how they can help. Meanwhile, Anissa's husband, Peter, has done an commendable job of keeping friends up to date on Anissa's original blog, Hope4Peyton, and each of his new posts is being shared across the Web by the family's countless supporters.

What many outsiders might not realize is that, with mom bloggers, such widespread cooperation is more often the rule than the exception. We saw it with the heart-breaking loss of blogger Heather Spohr’s beautiful daughter, Maddie. Equally amazing was how the moms of the Web rallied to find a kidney for the seriously ill daughter of “Domestic Diva” blogger Lisa Carroccio.

But in less dramatic ways, those of us who work with online moms see it each day as bloggers help give their many online friends emotional support and advice.

But I also hope that the marketing community is watching this unbelievable show of support, something that says more about today’s digital moms than a thousand surveys or focus groups could ever hope to illuminate.

To make a PayPal donation to help support Anissa Mayhew's family during her recovery, click here, or e-mail helpforanissa@gmail.com to learn how else you might be able to help.

October 09, 2009

We wanted to give a big thanks to everyone who came out to Luckie's Marketing to the Modern Mom seminar on Thursday at the Virginia Samford Theatre. We've gotten great feedback, especially about our speakers.

In the coming days, we'll be featuring some of the insights that came out of the event, and we wanted to start with our own David Stutts, VP and Director of Brand Planning here at Luckie. David got the event rolling by presenting data that explained how the three current generations of mothers
— Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y — use the internet differently and how it is shaping their
parenting.

• Lindsay Lebresco, former social media manager of Graco Baby Products now with digital agency Converseon, explained how Graco
became a leader in corporate social media with the simple philosophy of "We're parents too."

• Our panel of tell-all mom bloggers — Lotus Carroll, Anissa Mayhew and Mishelle Lane — gave a biting but constructive perspective on the many (often flawed) ways businesses are reaching out to bloggers.

• The day ended with a casual discussion of small-business strategies, featuring Alabama Baby & Child Publisher Cecelia Pearson, Jennifer West from the McWane Science Center and Lucas Pepke from the Virginia Samford Theatre. It was a great way to cap off the event, with lots of conversation between the panel and business representatives in the audience.

Throughout the day, the conversation was dynamic and productive, and we really have to thank our great presenters and guests for joining us to see how businesses can find a comfortable space at the intersection of social media and motherhood.

September 17, 2009

MARKETING TO THE MODERN MOMA candid discussion about social media and motherhood.

If your organization is looking to connect with Web-savvy moms on their own turf, don’t miss this fun and informative event, hosted by Luckie & Company.

Event details:

8:30 a.m.–1 p.m.Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009The Virginia Samford TheatreBreakfast and lunch includedTickets: $30Buy online: ModernMom.eventbrite.com (Or just use the secure form at the bottom of this post.)Seating is very limited and tickets will not be sold at the door, so don't wait!

Graco is a name that any American parent is sure to recognize, and Lindsay Lebresco has been central to the company’s emergence as one of the most respected brands in the social media realm. Her sincerity, openness and obvious love of parenting helped prove that corporate blogging doesn’t have to be dry and self-promotional. Today, hundreds of companies are looking to Graco as a role model of social media outreach done right.

She’s one of the funniest women on the Web, but ironically, Anissa Mayhew’s life as a blogger began when her youngest daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. Anissa launched Hope4Peyton.org as a place to express the complex emotions her family was experiencing. Today, Peyton is happy and healthy, and Anissa is quickly becoming known as one of the most lively and opinionated moms on the Web.

When it comes to candid perspectives on parenthood and life in general, it’s hard to beat Lotus Carroll for unfi ltered creativity. In addition to sharing her personal stories and photography on SarcasticMom.com, Lotus also test-drives a wide range of new products and hosts related giveaways on SarcasticMomReviews.com.

Whenever the most influential online moms come together, you’re sure to find Mishelle Lane with camera in hand. Her incredible photography and smarts have made her an icon of the blogosphere. When she’s not blogging at SecretAgentMama.com or contributing to sites like Blissfully Domestic, Mishelle runs her own photography business and home-schools her four children. Obviously, she’s a woman who has mastered multitasking.

A Birmingham native who's passionate about heralding the community's many resources, Cecilia Pearson is the publisher of Alabama Baby & Child magazine and creator of the tremendously popular Babypaloozaevents. now held across six cities. Her mission is to inform, educate, and
connect new and growing families with the right resources for their journey.

With each American generation, the definition of motherhood has changed dramatically. In his three-part series of white papers, “Rethinking Mom,” David Stutts has chronicled the cultural shift from the latchkey, double-income Boomer families to the hands-on and highly educated Gen Y Mommy Tsunami, which is just beginning to create the largest baby boom in U.S. history. David will share his findings and explain how businesses must adapt to the new meaning of “mom.”

Every day, marketers are besieging influential online moms across the country in hopes of getting some buzz in the blogosphere. The results are often disappointing and sometimes even disastrous. But David Griner has helped Luckie clients such as Little Debbie connect with modern moms in an earnest, long-term way that’s built on mutual respect. He’ll discuss the many ways businesses are reaching out to today’s moms and share some tips on making it a great experience for everyone involved.